Improvement in distilling oils



C. VAN DEVORT & C. VAN FLEET.

Distilling Oil.

No. l68,542. Palented0ct. 5',l875.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-Ion CORNELIUS VAN DEVORT AND CORNELIUS VAN FLEET, OF PHELPS, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN DISTILLING OILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 168,542, dated October 5, 1875; application filed September 3, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GoRNELIUs VAN DE- VORT and OoRNELIUs VAN FLEET, of Phelps, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Distilling Essential Oils; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improved apparatus for the distillation of essential oils; and it consists in the arrangement and combination of parts, that will be more fully described hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings represent our invention.

a represents a common wooden tub, which is to be sunk into the floor to about two-thirds or three-fourths of its depth, and charged with the mint or other material from which the oil is to be extracted. The cover b of this tub is made conical, of sheet metal, and provided with a vertical flange, c, for resting upon the top of edge of the tub, and handles d, so that the cover can be easily managed by two men. The concavity of the cover forms a steam space or chamber, so that the steam, after having acted upon the material, can freely escape through the pipe 0. Near the center of the top is a small tube, g, called the scent-hole, to which the nose is applied, for the purpose ofascertaining whether the oil has all passed off. If the steam has a pungent aromatic smell it will at once be known that the oil has not all yet passed on, whereas if the steam smells flat and dead, then the oil has all been extracted. The cover' I) is held down upon the rim of the tub by a number of clamping-levers, so as to form an airtight joint, and, as the lower edge of the flange cis more or less sharpened, the flange cuts into the tops of the staves. In order to prevent it from sinking too far, stops it are formed on the inside of the flange, which strike against the top of the tub, and thus regulate the distance the flange shall cut. The clamping-levers consist of a hooked rod, 1, that catches under the edge of the bottom of the tub, and which has jointed to its upper end the rack or ratchet 2. Pivoted to this ratchet is a long hand-lever, 3, which carries a dog, 4, to engage with the ratchet, and a bar, 5, that is hooked at its upper end for catching over the edge of the cover.

By bearing down upon the outer end of the lever the cover b is drawn down upon the edge of the tub to any desired degree, when the dog is made to engage with the ratchet and hold it there.

The cover I), being made of metal, absorbs none of the oil, and, being entirely independent of the tub, one cover can be used for two tubs, as one tub may be uncharged and then recharged while the steam is acting upon the charge in the other tub.

As these tubs are generally used the cover is made of wood, is perfectly flat, and is hinged to the top of the tub. There being no steamspace on top, and the steam having to pass off through the side of the tub below its first hoop, the material is very unevenly acted upon, whereas when there is a steam-space on top into which the steam can freely rise, and then escape through the top, all the material is evenly acted upon at once.

By means of a metal cover and clamping devices all packings of rubber, cork, and other materials are entirely dispensed with.

The clamping devices are jointed together, so that when not in use they may be laid back upon the floor out of the way, as shown in Fig. 3.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. A convex metallic cover, I), provided with l the flange e and stops h, in combination with a wooden tub, a, the flange c forming a tight joint, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the rod 1, ratchet 2, lever 33, dog4, and catch 5, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the hooked rod 1, ratchet 2, and a clamping device, the rod and ratchet being jointed together, so that the whole clamp may be laid back on the floor, substantially as set fort-h.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 28th day of August, 1875.

CORNELIUS VAN DEVORT: CORNELIUS VAN FLEET, Witnesses:

B. F. ODELL, J. Q. PALMER. 

